The Texas Agricultural Economy

Students first brainstorm the purpose of an unidentified farm machine (cotton compressor). Then they learn about the rise of commercial farming in Texas. Next they examine basic economic concepts, such as supply, demand, and competition, and apply them to commercial farming in Texas. Finally they read about modern agriculture in Texas and create a map of agricultural activity.

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Here are the teacher pack items for The Texas Agricultural Economy:

Experience Summary
Printable overview of the learning experience with student activities and teaching options.
Attributions

Overview

In this experience, students first brainstorm the purpose of an unidentified farm machine (cotton compressor). Then they learn about the rise of commercial farming in Texas. Next they examine basic economic concepts, such as supply, demand, and competition, and apply them to commercial farming in Texas. Finally they read about modern agriculture in Texas and create a map of agricultural activity.

Estimated duration: 45-55 minutes

Vocabulary words:

commercial
enterprise
compete

Objectives

Describe how Texans made a living farming.
Explain basic economic principles.

Engage

Cotton was the main cash crop in Texas during much of the 1800s. After the Civil War, farming changed because slavery had ended. Many landowners began using sharecropping and tenant farming instead of slave labor. As cotton farming spread to more land and new tools helped farmers work more efficiently, the number of farms in Texas grew.

Objectives

Describe how Texans made a living farming.
Explain basic economic principles.

drawing of a farm machine of unknown size and purpose

Look at the picture of a plan for a farming machine. What do you think it is? What do you think it does? What do you think it is used for?
If you don’t know, look at the image and make observations about what you see

Give students a few minutes to enjoy one another’s answers.

The drawing is from a patent application for a cotton compressor by Texan George Taylor in 1887. According to the patent, “This invention relates to apparatus for compressing bales of cotton and for similar purposes.” By significantly reducing the size of cotton bales, the price of shipping dropped and made cotton a more profitable crop to grow.

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